Homeless newspaper loses Brentwood lawsuit

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The Contributor, a newspaper written by and sold by homeless and formerly homeless, is celebrating its fifth anniversary, but one Nashville suburb has won a federal lawsuit that prevents their street vendors from selling to motorists.

The street newspaper is sold by vendors on street corners to drivers and pedestrians. In celebration of their fifth anniversary, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and the paper's staff, volunteers and supporters were gathering at the Downtown Presbyterian Church on Wednesday.

But a federal judge on Tuesday dismissed their case against the city of Brentwood, a wealthy suburb in Williamson County, over citations given to vendors.

U.S. District Judge Todd Campbell ruled that a revised city ordinance banning people from selling newspapers to motorists in the street does not violate constitutional rights to free speech.

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